$1.26 per share, compared with $131 million, or $2.27 per share, in fiscal 2009. Revenue came in at nearly $3 billion, up from $2.4 billion. Jack same-store sales fell 4 percent in the fourth quarter, while Qdoba same-store sales increased 5.6 percent. In fiscal 2011, the company expects Jack same-store sales to come in somewhere between a 2 percent gain and 2 percent drop, while Qdoba sales will increase 2-4 percent.

Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill

History: Ralph Rubio, a former San Diego State University student, started Rubio’s in 1983 as a Mission Bay walk-up stand after sampling fish tacos on a surf trip.

Headquarters: Carlsbad

Operations: 180 locations in five states. Company was taken private last year in $91 million deal with Connecticut’s Mill Road Capital investment firm.

Financials: Before the deal closed, Rubio’s reported a loss of $387,000, or 4 cents a share, in its second quarter, compared with net income of $512,000, or 5 cents a share,

Whether it’s Rubio’s touting an “All-American taco” on Facebook or a Jack in the Box campaign to “like” its mascot Jack, two fast casual dining companies that originated in San Diego are working to generate buzz and boost sales through social networking media.

The restaurant chains maintain that they’re not trying to be trendy; instead, they’re looking to meet customers where they’re already hanging out online at places like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Foursquare.

“We’re trying to create relationships with people,” said Jack in the Box senior vice president and chief marketing officer Terri Funk Graham. “It’s just one more weapon in our arsenal.”

Both companies rely on outside help to develop promotions incorporating social media: Jack in the Box works with Santa Monica-based marketing firm Secret Weapon Marketing and Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill partners with San Diego-based RedDoor Interactive.

“It’s fishing where the fish are,” RedDoor CEO and President Reid Carr said at a December event for the San Diego Chapter American Marketing Association. His company established Rubio’s social media marketing processes, then helped Rubio’s assume more autonomy.

Jack in the Box and Rubio’s both have employed attention-getting tactics to establish Facebook fan bases. In 2010, Jack in the Box began a weeks-long promotion involving a nickel “donation” into a virtual jar for every existing fan and every new fan; each stood a chance to win the jackpot.

In 2009, Rubio’s boosted its Facebook presence while promoting a special menu item, the “All-American taco.” The company donated 25 cents for every fan photo uploaded featuring “All-American moments” and raised $25,000 for a nonprofit group.